Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Turkey's main opposition party leader said on Tuesday that the government could reach nowhere by cooperating with terrorists.
Deniz Baykal, the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), said that the government could reach nowhere by cooperating with violent and terror centers.
"You have to take into consideration the demands of citizens of Kurdish origin in that region," Baykal told parliament gathering of his party.
Baykal argued that the terrorist organization PKK, the Democratic Society Party (DTP), and head terrorist Abdullah Ocalan were in a political unity and the government was cooperating with those three.
"The recent incidents occurred as a result of this," he said.
Baykal said that the nation had seen that the move was wrong and reacted to it.
Then, the government had "suspended" the initiative, Baykal said and asked if the government was suspending the initiative to make the nation digest it or if it was planning to go on with the initiative after some time passed.
Also, Baykal said the aim of terrorism was to cause ethnic division in Turkey and then to create a different state structure.
However, Turkey was in an effort to intermingle citizens of different origin as a nation since the day it was established, Baykal said.
Baykal also said that some circles inside and outside Turkey had made some plans to harm this integrity.
The CHP chairman said citizens of Kurdish origin were not after separation and supporting terrorism.
"They are not the militants or fanatics of the PKK, but they want to live as equal citizens of this nation and state," he said.
Baykal said that it was the biggest mistake to leave those citizens aside, turn eyes on the terrorist organization, try to compromise with the organization, cooperate with the organization, and try to solve problems that way.
"Because their (terrorists') problem is separation, but the problem of our citizens of Kurdish origin is not separation," he said.
Baykal said the citizens of Kurdish origin had legitimate complaints and demands and they wanted solution.
"If an initiative is to be taken, this cannot be made by turning your eyes on the PKK, Ocalan and DTP, as the government did," he said.
Baykal said that it could be done by turning eyes on the citizens of Kurdish origin and taking into consideration their demands.
The opposition leader said that it would be a great disrespect and obstinacy with the nation to say that "the initiative would continue" in the current atmosphere.
Baykal also said that some circles outside the country were trying to back efforts to cause ethnic separation in Turkey and use terrorist organizations.
The CHP leader said every one had to show the foreign world that the region would be a more peaceful and secure place if it stopped playing with and using the PKK, and backing it directly or indirectly.
Baykal also called on the government to say the foreign world that it would not be right to take steps aiming at separating Turkey.
CHP leader Baykal also said that nobody should try to hamper Turkey's nationalization process.
On October 19, 34 PKK members, coming from the north of Iraq, surrendered to Turkish gendarmerie forces at the Habur border crossing between Turkey and Iraq.
Security forces released all the surrendered PKK members.
Turkey was expecting some more members of the terrorist organization from Europe to arrive in Istanbul on October 28. However, their arrival was postponed after popular and political reactions to a welcoming ceremony during the surrender of 34 PKK members last week.
